Mac OS

Need to extract a .xip file? Maybe you’re trying to figure out what a .xip is that you came across on a Mac? The XIP (.xip) file format is an archive that is similar to zip, except that .xip files typically include a digital signature that can be verified on the operating system before the … Read More

Apple has released MacOS Mojave 10.14.1 for Mac users running the Mojave operating system. The first major update to MacOS Mojave includes a few new additions, along with various bug fixes and resolutions to issues that existed in the first release. For other Mac users, Apple has released security updates for Macs running MacOS High … Read More

Advanced Mac users can boot into Single User Mode, which loads directly into the command line of Mac OS and skips the familiar friendly user interface. Booting into Single User Mode on a Mac can be helpful for some troubleshooting purposes and administrative tasks, but is generally best reserved for use by advanced Mac users … Read More

If regularly use a Mac with an Apple SuperDrive or other DVD player, you may be wondering where the DVD Player app went in macOS Mojave, and perhaps you have arrived at the conclusion that it’s missing since it’s no longer visible in the /Applications folder or Launchpad. It’s not missing however, it turns out … Read More

Are you not ready to upgrade to MacOS Mojave yet? If so, you may wish to disable and hide the “Upgrade to macOS Mojave” notification banner that comes up frequently in prior versions of Mac OS system software, as Apple pushes users to upgrade to the latest MacOS release. Whether you’re avoiding the MacOS Mojave … Read More

Have you unintentionally used an Apple ID or logged into an Apple ID on a Mac that isn’t yours, or perhaps that you don’t want iCloud access on? If so, you may wish to remove that Apple ID and iCloud account from that Mac. Similarly, you may want to delete an Apple ID from a … Read More

The Dock in modern MacOS versions includes a new feature that displays a trio of recently used applications alongside your regular Dock app icons. The Recent Applications section of the Dock adjusts and updates automatically as you launch and quit apps, and while it offers a convenient way to reopen apps you were using not … Read More

If you’re currently running macOS Mojave, you can re-download a macOS High Sierra installer for whatever reason to macOS Mojave. Re-downloading older versions of macOS system software can be desirable for a variety of reasons, and in this case getting the older High Sierra release is most often to create a macOS High Sierra USB … Read More

Want to quickly see all Homebrew packages installed on a Mac? You may already know the path where Homebrew packages are installed to, but you don’t need to list a directory structure to get a list of Homebrew packages that have been installed in Mac OS. Instead, you can issue a simple command to show … Read More

If you have an iTunes audio library of music, songs, podcasts, ripped CDs, and other media, you may want to gain direct access to those files at various points in time. While you can navigate in the file system of Mac OS or Windows to access the location of the iTunes Library, the iTunes app … Read More

Enabling Dark Mode in macOS Mojave tranforms the entire user interface appearance into an all-dark look, and while it’s very popular with many users, some other Mac users may not want a full dark mode appearance on their Mac. Instead, some Mac users may prefer a more limited Dark theme experience that only applies to … Read More

The Dark Mode theme available in modern macOS versions offers a unique visual interface and desktop environment to work in, shifting nearly all onscreen visual elements to dark grays and blacks. For many Mac users, the Dark theme is perhaps the most popular new feature to arrive in MacOS Mojave, Catalina, and Big Sur, and … Read More

Rarely, you may need to reinstall macOS Mojave system software, usually for troubleshooting purposes. Reinstalling MacOS Mojave as discussed here will aim to only reinstall the macOS Mojave system software itself, it will not erase the drive, nor will it remove any user data or user files, making it ideal for troubleshooting. This walkthrough will … Read More

If you’re a Mac command line user you may have noticed that many frequently used commands entered into the Terminal (or iTerm) result in an “Operation not permitted” error message since updating to MacOS Mojave 10.14 or later, including Sonoma, Ventura, Monterey, and Big Sur. The “Operation not permitted” error in the Terminal can be … Read More

Dynamic Desktops are a new feature in MacOS that allow the desktop background wallpaper of a Mac to change throughout the day as the time changes. Perhaps the most prominent example of this feature is the default desktop in macOS, whether in Monterey, Big Sur, Catalina, or Mojave, which when Dynamic Desktops is enabled will … Read More

Some users may occasionally need to re-download the MacOS Mojave installer application while actively running MacOS Mojave. This is usually done for making a MacOS Mojave boot installer drive or some other similar purpose, or perhaps to copy the installer onto another computer or as a backup, but there are other reasons someone may want … Read More

Performing a clean install of MacOS Mojave may be desirable to some Mac users. A clean install means erasing all data on a hard drive, and then installing a fresh new installation of MacOS Mojave to that Mac. The idea is that a clean install starts fresh, sort of like how a new Mac comes … Read More

Want to check for software updates in macOS Big Sur, Catalina, or MacOS Mojave? Perhaps you’re wondering where system software updates went in MacOS Mojave or Catalina? You may have noticed that the Software Update mechanism is different in MacOS Mojave and Catalina than in other recent prior Mac OS releases, with system software updates … Read More